Lucknow: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday, said that the pundit next door could make better astronomical predictions than US observatories.

Mr Singh, who was addressing the convocation of the Lucknow University, emphasised the contribution of ancient Indian knowledge and said that the need of the hour was to ensure spiritual development of students and inculcate traditional values in them.

“In the modern age, many times, the media gets confused and claims that the UP observatory has given information about solar and lunar eclipses on a particular date and time. But you do not have to turn to the US for this, just ask your pundit next door and he will read the ‘Panchang’ (Hindu calendar) and give you details of eclipses in the past and coming 100 years,” he said.

“Our saints had said that the earth existed 196 crore years ago but science refused to believe them. Now science has proved that their claim was right. The ancient Indian contribution to astrology, science and mathematics is unparalleled and our forefathers were far ahead of the west in this,” the Union home minister added.